Coreopsis plant named ‘Red Satin’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Coreopsis  named ‘Red Satin’ characterized by its sturdy and upright plant habit, its inflorescences with ray florets that are dark red in color, its thread-like foliage, its production of underground rhizomes that survive conditions of typical U.S.D.A. Zone 5 winters when planted in the landscape, and its sterile inflorescences and due to the lack of seed production; the plants remain relatively resistant to powdery mildew longer into the season than is typical for cultivars of thread-leaf type  Coreopsis.

Botanical classification: Coreopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Red Satin’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCoreopsis plant of hybrid origin and botanically known as Coreopsis ‘RedSatin’. The new cultivar will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname ‘Red Satin’. ‘Red Satin’ is a herbaceous perennial grown forlandscape and container use.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inHubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program is to develophybrid cultivars of Coreopsis with unique and superior gardenattributes. In particular, to develop cultivars of Coreopsis withthread-leaf type foliage that are cold hardy and reliably perennial inU.S.D.A. Zone 5 in a range of flower colors.

The Inventor made a controlled cross in August of 2010 in his testgarden in Hubbardston, Mass. between an unnamed proprietary plant fromthe Inventor's breeding program, reference no. Y2 09-5, as the femaleparent and pollen that was pooled from unnamed proprietary plants ofCoreopsis as the male parent. The exact male parent is thereforeunknown. ‘Red Satin’ was selected in July 2011 as a single unique plantamongst the resulting seedlings from the above cross.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemtip cuttings in Kensington, Conn. in August 2011 under the direction ofthe Inventor. Asexual propagation by stem tip cuttings has determinedthat the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and arereproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Red Satin’ as a unique cultivar of Coreopsis.

-   -   1. ‘Red Satin’ exhibits a sturdy, upright plant habit.    -   2. ‘Red Satin’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets that are        dark red in color.    -   3. ‘Red Satin’ exhibits thread-like foliage (similar to C.        verticillata).    -   4. ‘Red Satin’ exhibits production of underground rhizomes that        survive conditions of typical U.S.D.A. Zone 5 winters when        planted in the landscape.    -   5. ‘Red Stain’ exhibits sterile inflorescences and due to the        lack of seed production; the plants remain relatively resistant        to powdery mildew longer into the season than is typical for        cultivars of thread-leaf type Coreopsis.

The female parent of ‘Red Satin’, Y2 09-5, differs from ‘Red Satin’ inhaving flowers that are purple in color, in being taller in height, andin having highly fertile flowers. ‘Red Satin’ can be most closelycompared to the Coreopsis cultivars ‘Limerock Ruby’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.15,455) and ‘Mercury Rising’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,689). ‘LimerockRuby’ is similar to ‘Red Satin’ in having sterile inflorescences withray florets that are red in color. ‘Limerock Ruby’ differs from ‘RedSatin’ in being taller in height and in being less cold hardy due to alack of production of underground rhizomes. ‘Mercury Rising’ is similarto ‘Red Satin’ in having inflorescences with ray florets that are red incolor and in being perennial and cold hardy in U.S.D.A Zone 5. ‘MercuryRising’ differs from ‘Red Satin’ in having leaves that are wider andless dissected (due to some genetic influence of C. grandiflora), inhaving a wider and less upright plant habit, and in having less numerousand larger inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Coreopsis. The photographs inFIG. 1 and FIG. 2 were taken of nine month-old plants of ‘Red Satin’ asgrown outdoors in a one-gallon containter in Hubbardston, Mass.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘Red Satin’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof ‘Red Satin’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 was taken of a two-year old plant as grownoutdoors in a 3-gallon container in Hubbardston, Mass. and provides aview of the formation of the leaf rosette arising from the rhizomesformed for overwintering. The colors in the photograph may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription, which accurately describe the colors of the new Coreopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of nine month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in one-gallon containers in Kensington,Conn. and of two year-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoorsin 3-gallon containers in Hubbardston, Mass. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms from early July until frost in            central Massachusetts if sheared lightly once or twice            during the growing season.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, clump forming, sturdy,            upright and spreading (taller than wide).        -   Height and spread.—An average of 53 cm in height and 41 cm            in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A Zone 5.        -   Diseases resistance.—Has been observed to be more resistant            to powdery mildew than is typical of other cultivars of            Coreopsis early in the growing season due to its lack of            seed production, can be susceptible to powdery mildew late            in the season.        -   Root description.—Fibrous from rhizomes.        -   Propagation.—Terminal stem cuttings (preferred), division            also possible.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Oval, ridged.        -   Stem color.—Young; a blend of 137A and N138B, mature            (woody); a mix of 165A and 197A.        -   Stem size.—Main stems; an average of 46 cm in length            (excluding terminal peduncle) and 7 mm in width, secondary;            average of 10 cm in length and 4 mm in width, tertiary; 8.5            cm in length and 1 mm in width.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous and dull.        -   Stem aspect.—Upright to outward.        -   Branching habit.—Well-branched, an average of 18 main            branches, 2 secondary branches per main stem, tertiary            branches 4.        -   Internode length.—An average of 5 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to trifid.        -   Leaf size.—Variable, up to 7 cm in length and 2 mm in width            when entire, up to 7 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width when            tri-fid.        -   Leaf shape.—Linear-narrowly oblanceolate when entire,            Linear-narrowly oblanceolate lobes when tri-fid.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate to stem.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, not prominent, matches leaf color on            upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; N137A, young and            mature lower surface; 137B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Composite with a single row of ray            florets surrounding disk florets in the center, forming a            radiant head, inflorescences are borne on branch terminals            in loose corymbs.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—An average of 10 days until            senescence of ray florets, longer in cool temperatures,            bracts and disk flowers are persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—An average of 50 per main            branch.        -   Inflorescence size.—Corymbs; an average of 8 cm in length            and 7.5 cm in width, composite; an average of 1 cm in depth            and up to 4.5 cm in diameter.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Average of 5 cm in depth and in            diameter, spherical in shape, color; a mix of 16B, 22A and            165A.        -   Peduncle.—Average of 6.5 cm in length and 2 mm in width,            glabrous surface, 138A in color.        -   Pedicle.—Average of 5 cm in length and 1 mm in width,            glabrous surface, 138B in color.        -   Sepals.—Average of 8, 3 mm in length and 2 mm in width,            color; blend of 17A and 8C, slightly translucent in color.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Bract number.—9 total, 4 outer bracts and 5 inner bracts.        -   Bract arrangement.—Outer bracts are un-fused and held            slightly upward, inner bracts surround receptacle with a            campanulate form with apical portion un-fused, spreading,            and held close to lower surface of ray florets.        -   Bract size.—Outer bracts; an average of 3 mm in length and 1            mm in width, inner bracts; up to 3 mm in length and 1 mm in            width with free portion an average of 2 mm in length and 1            mm in width.        -   Bract color.—Inner bracts; 141A, margins 149C, outer bracts;            143B, tip 141A, margins 149C.        -   Bract texture.—Glabrous on outer and inner surfaces of outer            and inner bracts.        -   Bract apex.—Acute on outer and inner bracts.        -   Bract base.—Truncate on inner and outer bracts.        -   Bract margins.—Entire.        -   Bract shape.—Outer bracts; lanceolate, inner bracts;            narrowly elliptic.-   Ray florets (sterile):    -   -   Number.—An average of 8 arranged primarily in one row.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Size.—An average of 2 cm in length and 7 mm in width.        -   Apex.—2 notched.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire with apex notched.        -   Aspect.—Held horizontal to slightly upward.        -   Texture.—Glabrous and satiny on upper surface, glabrous on            lower surface.        -   Color.—When opening inner surface; 187B, tip 10A, base 187A,            when opening outer surface; a blend of 7A (more so from mid            section to tip) and 187A (more so at the base), when fully            open upper surface; 45A with an overlay of 187A, when fully            open lower surface; mid section to tip is 4D with streaks of            4A, base to mid section is 183A with specks of 187A.-   Disk flowers (perfect):    -   -   Shape.—Tubular, corolla is fused, flared at apex.        -   Number.—About 80.        -   Size.—About 4 mm in length and 1 mm in width.        -   Color.—En masse; 13A, corolla; base of tube is 13A in color,            flared portion is 187A and translucent.        -   Receptacle.—About 8 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth, 8A in            color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are sterile.        -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, 3 mm in length, style is very fine,            translucent and 17D in color, bifid pilose stigma is 17C in            color with branches about 0.5 mm in length and recurved,            ovary is 1 mm in length, 0.5 mm in width, inferior, and 17D            in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, fused into tube surrounding style,            1 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, about 187A in color,            pollen is minimal in quantity and N25B in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—Has been observed to be sterile and to lack seed            production.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named‘Red Satin’ as herein illustrated and described.